National Award Ceremony

Congratulations and Best Wishes
Shamji Bhai/ Weaves National Award 2005
Girirajji/ Terracotta for Shilpguru 2006
Ayub Chacha/Wood Carving for National Award 2006

Girirajji at his studio/home with grandchildren


Ayub Chacha's work

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Masters in Dilli

Master craftspersons, Shilp Guru, National Merit certificate are national awards honoring artisans and their skills all over India.







Interestingly Jammu Kashmir, especially Kashmir has the maximum awards, followed closely by Uttar Pradesh.


Orissa, Gujarat vying for number two spot.









Punjab is represented by only Phulkari
Maharashtra had a lone kholapuri footwear representation

does Kashmir rock with the awards

Last day of workshop @ Organnic Connect studio

the last official day - finishing up

Nirmala is engrossed with her piece
while Teresa clears accounts

The idea has been surface development for this first phase
and by using waste surpluses from industrial units , wow sounds almost like the "chindi" story

Phase 2 is now to visualise products using these surfaces.....


PS: 08th was very busy, they were to leave
we met in the morning, exchanged notes (literally)
other than the good filter coffee at Karnataka udipi bad start
I got stuck in traffic & there train got canceled!!
They also suffered the roads blocks, reached station 2hrs in advance, train canceled, re-funded tickets, wow!
we met again yesterday - was nice

BRT Chirag Dilli - Dilli ka chirag

sitting pretty
a long line behind

the entire BRT Chirag Dilli stretch waiting to move ahead in life
08 December 08/ 0920hrs

Good morning Dilli

the reason Im here is due to a detour, because ballot counting, had blocked the regular 1km stretch from Siri fort to Kamla Nehru crossing

So while here I observe :
some cars escaping into the bus lane to beat the jam, I curse them.
another enthu camera jutting out of a vehicle.
if Sheila Dixit loses, this will be a free-way with a vengeance
but she won
And congrats to her third term in power

Dilli has seen good infra development over the last 10 years.

BUT for this
Yes during an emergency its a life line BUT still ...

from chirag to GK crossing fully packed!

in the rear view packed from GK red light to Chirag

Its ok to wait ,"ok its a jam and you are caught in it" but to see these rule breakers does not go very well.

Here comes the role of the traffic warden-


we common Indians tend to treat them like the local Dilli police halvadars - with no respect what so ever.
It pains to see that sometimes these guys use their own person as a shield to stop cars from entering the bus lanes, same story with traffic cops

PLEASE hand them challan books and authority of hefty fines for rules breakers, till we dont learn.

some interesting BRT stories

wake up Dilli Police

Delhi Police
CITIZENS FIRST


WITH YOU FOR YOU ALWAYS

No doubt they have the best intentions and work very hard.
most often its the elite car-wallahs who zip past ignoring them
& that feels very miserable.


but today was another story -

ballot count as Siri fort audi started at 8.00am and a whole battalion and a half was there on "duty"
and also
the road stretch from the Kamla Nehru crossing to Shahpurjat crossing was shut.

so our very brave men were out on the street guiding traffic, challan books in hand
and while the vehicles were generally being shepherded around,
no driver could argue simply follow inane direction or be challaned!!

SIMPLE SUGGESTION:
DILLI POLICE PLEASE PUT UP ROAD SIGN INDICATING THE STRETCH OF ROAD THAT IS SHUT.

u kno like the metro does, every time they shut a road promptly indications and directions are given upto 200mtrs in advance
a little consideration to the poor car wallah to plan an alternate, calculate time, etc.
not asking for much
&

most importantly Constable ABC does not have to risk his life stopping & chasing after cars going in wrong lanes.sitting pretty

a long line behind me, the entire BRT Chirag Dilli stretch waiting to move ahead in life
08 December 08/ 0920hrs

Good morning Dilli

Water world

"I have been circling Dilli since the past one month" say Harkku Ben

Kala Raksha's annual solo Exhibition @ Intach 10-16 November


Nature Bazaar 18 Nov - 01 December
Nature also saw the debut of the KRV alumini association

Exhibition of the water narratives @UN 02 - 06 December

an open air bamboo structure on the front lawns
a pre -conference meeting

water stories


Bhagwati shows off her piece to Teresa & Nirmala

Harku Ben & Maggi Ben "inspect" the Serali groups work

Teresa, Nirmala and the Kala Raksha ladies have met earlier this was a re-bounding
Both Maggi Ben(on behalf of Kala Raksha) and the Serali group have worked on the UN millennium goals project in form a of narrative art piece enacting improve maternal health & combact HIV/AIDS and dieases respectively
All the 8 art pieces are currently on display at the reception lounge

Packing up for the night
L-R row 1-Harkku Ben, Judy Ben, Maggi Ben, Bhagwati Ben & her Mami
row2 - Harish Bhai &....
before the party begins

Ist workshop @ studio Organic Connect

Tressa, Nirmala, Tanveen , Nupur

a coincidence - bumped into the girls Tressa and Nirmala at Dilli Haat, last day
also bumped into Chaman Bhai and Nupur + daughter (who took this nice pic of us)

We decided to take the plunge - one day workshop at my studio
something that we have been planning since a while now

3rd Dec. Day1

the first day was slow
nearing end we decided, something was happening and we should carry over to the next day

Day 2
Judy Ben, Maggi Ben & Tressa...
discussing tatoo and stuff

Kala Raksha's exhibition at the UNDP compound

The exhibition(and sale) of narratives is based on the theme of Water
15 or so pieces by the women of Kala Raksha enacting the value of water in their lives.

In the picture above the Harkku Ben, Meggi Ben & others check out the patchwork of the Sirali group.

@ the studio

Today post lunch something was emerging - while the whole of yesterday Tressa labored stitching up the strips
by lunch today Nirmala was successful in giving it a character

trying out pintucks

till kalden came by, suggested the right way
then sucess was ours!


the day ended with another great evening
Aditi's show at Moonriver an exhibition of products in Gond painting

terror attack on Us

Beach Landing

apparently intercepts picked up talk of an entry by the sea route
but why on the final day will they ask for sims cards???

explosion near Chabad (Nariman) house

Amir Kasav and partner entering CST (Victoria Terminus)

Initially CM Deshmukh hesitantly disclosed "ummm....20 maybe 25....
The govt claims 10 arrived on the boat and all are accounted for - 9 dead and Amir in custody.

But Amir already booked into the Taj atleast 2 -6days earlier, posing as a student from Mauritius.
???

Hostages escape using drapes, etc.

NSG in action

They took position in buildings around - the resident takes cover

more onlookers

Ramu and Riteish D were not the only curious cats, well they had no business to be on the CM's entourage
this is equally scary

Leopold is open again,
Salute their spirit and courage to defenc terror.


All these pics and more are originally on FT.com